Church Bells

Bill Montrose was an average kind of guy, single and liking it. He was closing his Laundromat for the night and locking up to leave, noticed his breath in the frigid air. It had been a busy day (especially cleaning up a chemical spill) and it was late. Bill was tired and in a hurry to go home. While walking to his car under the starry sky it occurred to him that he might have left the water running in the back. He stopped and turned around just in time to see a little green man with bulging eyes dive under a bush thirty feet away. This startled him and he blinked hard and looked again. Bill walked over to the bush and peered into the darkness. Nothing. He walked back to the door, wondering if he was going bonkers.

Taking out his keys, they accidentally dropped from his unsteady hand, and as he bent down to retrieve them, he noticed another little green man duck its head around the corner of the building next to his. He ran to the corner, looked around and saw nothing. A feeling of unease spread over him. Upon entering, he went to the back where the water was indeed running. He turned the handle and complete silence entered his world. He had the feeling he was being watched, and the little hairs on his neck stood up. After a moment he heard a strange little voice and his fear grew. Stepping into the main room he saw a little green thing duck into one of the dryers. Bill raced to the machine, pressed his shoulder to the door, dropped in three quarters, and started it up. The squeaking ceased only to be replaced by tiny shouts of terror. He looked into the round window and saw several little green bodies flailing about; looks of pain on their hideous faces. He staggered back a few paces just before the door blew open and the little green critters (which looked like grass-covered gingerbread men) came scampering out and wobbled in dizzy circles. He was beside with horror and instinctively kicked them to stun them. What were they? He grabbed a laundry sack, scooped them into it and gripping the top tightly, whipped the bag onto the floor over and over until he thought they were dead.